BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – President of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court docket of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, Wednesday warned that an inefficient legal justice system has dire penalties for the cohesion of the social material, for the economic system and the rule of legislation within the area.
Addressing the beginning of the three-day seventh Biennial Regulation Convention of the CCJ Academy for Regulation (CAL), Justice Saunders stated it was important first to acknowledge that the legal justice system is an intricate community of actors and programs comprising a number of stakeholders.
“We have now police, and prisons, and prosecutors; attorneys and judges; courts and legislatures; probation and welfare departments, to call a couple of. Every has its position, jurisdiction, and priorities. However there should be, at the least, a primary stage of coordination among the many numerous gamers that comprise the system if the system is to be efficient,” he advised the viewers.
The convention is being held below the theme “Prison Justice Reform within the Caribbean- Reaching a Fashionable Prison Justice System,” Justice Saunders stated the theme is “most well timed given the present state of affairs within the area.”
He stated in lots of Caribbean international locations, governments and atypical residents alike are rightly involved concerning the alarmingly excessive incidence of crime within the area.
He recalled that Caribbean Group (CARICOM) leaders met in Trinidad and Tobago in April this 12 months for a selected regional symposium addressing crime as a public well being situation. Justice Saunders stated that the symposium provided a possibility for dialogue round creating avenues for regional motion to deal with this scourge that faces us.
“I’m happy, due to this fact, that the Academy has chosen to proceed the dialogue and produce collectively stakeholders within the legal justice system who can present progressive and achievable options to style concrete suggestions for reform.”
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines jurist recalled that a couple of years in the past, he gave an handle in his homeland the place he famous that, sadly, in some CARICOM states, the legal justice system is damaged.
“The proof is throughout us. Spiraling crime charges, inordinate delays in disposing of legal circumstances, excessive jail remand populations, low detection and conviction charges, antiquated case administration processes, uncoordinated response initiatives by prime stakeholders, and the checklist goes on and on.”
Justice Saunders, the third Caribbean nationwide to go the Trinidad-based CCj established in 2001 to exchange the London-based Privy Council because the area’s highest and ultimate court docket, stated these systemic weaknesses disillusioned the citizenry and sap public confidence within the justice system.
“Specifically, they frustrate accused individuals, witnesses, victims of crime, and their households. An inefficient legal justice system has dire penalties for the social material’s cohesion, economic system, and rule of legislation. How can we go about addressing the issue?”
He stated that the convention right here is pushed by a typical concern for locating options by and among the many numerous judicial and legislation enforcement stakeholders.
“Over the subsequent three days, we’ll get the chance to listen to from and think about the assorted vantage factors as representatives from these groupings share their data and expertise and provide options to the frequent issues we expertise.
“The concept is just not merely to facilitate one other speak store. However reasonably to suggest progressive and efficient methods to grapple with the issues within the clear perception that the area’s folks deserve higher and are able to doing higher,” he added,” Such as you, I fervently sit up for our deliberations.”
In keeping with CAL, the three-day convention intends to “facilitate dynamic discussions and generate sensible suggestions that may impact significant change within the legal justice programs of the area.”
The subjects for dialogue embrace the significance of pre-trial proceedings, plea bargaining, crime and financial growth, civil asset forfeiture, victims’ rights, anti-gang laws, trendy evidence-gathering methods, judge-alone trials, and sentencing, amongst others.
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